Vacuum cleaner



Sept. 9 1924.

- c. P. BROCKWAY VACUUM CLEANER 2 Shanta-Shoot 1 Filed March 25, 1920 Tail- I g5 INVENTOR. Carl PBrock Way BY 160251 m A TTORNEY Sept. 9 1924. 1,508,315

C. P. BROCKWAY VACUUM CLEANER Filed March 25 1920 2 Shanta-Shoot 2 INVENTOR. Carl RBrockI/wy ATTORNEYS.

stices of the Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,508,315 PATENT OFFICE.

our. 1'. BBOUIWAY, OI TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH COB- POBATION, OF TOLEDO,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

VACUUI cnmnn.

Application fled larch II, 1930. Serial Io. 868,711.

To all whom it may concern:

e it known that I, Can. P. Baocxwnr a citizen of the United States, resid' a reledo, in the county of Lucas and tate of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Cleaners, of which I declare the follow' g to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners or suction sweepers articular] to that type of machine in wine all of t e arts are mounted upon a portable frame a apted to be moved over the surface to be cleaned.

In the usual construction of such machines the dust collector takes the form of a comparatively large fabric bag into which the dust laden air is discharfged, the pores of the bag permitting only c ean air, or at least a proximately clear air, to escape, While t e dust remains in the bag. Such ba are objectionable because of their bulk anfi becaus it is practically impossible to clean them thorou hly. Furthermore, machines with which fiiey are equipped uire a comparatively large motor, as the orce push the air throu h the interbag is considera lo and increases with the de of ti htness in the fabric of which the a is ma ic.

It is the principal o to eliminate the dust be and substitute therefor a dust collector o the centri type. This type of dust collector broad] is old and well known in various arts. 'le in some of its aspects the present invention contemplates the use of an known dust collector utilizing the centrifl i principle, in other respects it consists o a combination and arrangement of elements hereinafter described, in which is employed the particular form of dust collector illustrated in the drawings, that form lendin itself peculiarly to the urpose in han This collector er se is escribed and claimed in a coen ingqapplication of Clgde 0. Manchester, rial umber 360,507, led February 21,

necessary to A subsidiary object of the invention it .he provision of a structure in which the motor and the exhaust fan are mounted at opposite sides of the machine in symmetrical relation a common shaft upon which are menu the fan blades, and the motor armature extending entirel through the dust collector.

A oli ject of the invention is the thereof, whereb ject of my invention F revision of a cleaner in which the dust is eposited in a dust box which may be readlly removed from the main portion of the dust collector whenever it is desired to em ty the dirt.

other object is the provision of a centrifugal fan mounted on a horizontal axis with a casing olpen in the upper art of its peripheral wal but closed at t e bottom y a guard is formed a ainst downward currents of air, which woul tend to stir up the dust upon the surface over which the. machine was to be driven.

Other objects, and objects relatin to details of construction and economies 0% manufacture, will appear as I proceed with the description of that embodiment of the invention, which, for the purposes of the present application, I have lllustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure I is a view partially in front elevation but principally in vertical cross section, the latter bemg taken substantially on line I-I, Fig. H.

Fig. II is a vertical, sectional view taken substantially on line IIII, Fig. I.

Fig. III is a front elevational view.

Fig. IV is a side elevation, the fan casin being IiliOWn in section on the line IV-IE z imilar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the views.

In the drawin 10 represents a frame provided with sife wheels 11 and a central, rear, vertically adjustable wheel or caster 12. Upon the front of the frame is a nozzle 13 which re'ferably is cast intergral with the frame itself. The mouth 14 of the nozzle is arranged in close proximity to the floor or other surface upon which the machine is used. For the convenience of the operator in propelling and steerin the machine, there is provided a handle 4 w ich may be hollow for the accommodation of electric wires 5, and which has a pair of forwardly and outwardly extending arms 6 pivoted at 7 to the wheel frame. Upper and lower stops 8 and 9 upon the side members of the frame limit the movement of the handle upon its pivots.

e side of the frame 10 is provided with a ledge 15 which supports the casing 16 of an electric motor, brackets 17 being secured to the ledge 15 and extending up the forward and rear sides of the casing, to which they may be secured oy any suitable means,

- may or with which they may be integral if desired. The opposite side of the frame 10 supports a fan casing 18 which may also be made integral with the frame, or may be fastened to it by any suitable means. The two casings 16 and 18 are furnished with hearings on their outer sides in which is mounted a shaft 18 carrying the motor armature inside the casing 16, and carrying a fan 20 within the casing 18. The fan 20 is preferably of the centrifugal type, exhaustmg the air peripherally. To permit of this operation, I have shown most of the peripheral part of the casing open except at the bottom thereof where it is closed in order to prevent the fan blades from forcing a strong current of air downward against the oor, which would stir up the dirt and cause it to rise from the floor where it could not be acted upon by the nozzle.

The dust collector consists primarily of a separatin chamber 25 and a dust box 26, the latter eing divided by partitions 27 into small compartments so that the piling up of dust at either end of the box is prevented. The se arating chamber is roughly cylindrical in shape with closed ends. In the latter are mounted pins 28,, upon which swing the ends of a bail-shaped fastener 29, having an upturned curve 30, which engages the bottom of the box to hold it in place. As shown in Fig. II the sides of the box are outwardly flared, and being of more or less springy sheet metal,

be caused to form a close joint with the body of the separating chamber. The end walls of the dust box extend up a distance on the end walls of the separating chamber.

The body of the separating chamber is made up of sheet metal curved helically in cross section so that the upper half of the chamber has two overlapping walls with a space therebetween forming a semi-circular passage 31 for the air entering the dust collector. The nozzle 13 is secured to the dust collector in such a position as to make the interior of the nozzle substantially "a continuation of the passage 31. The bottom wall of the separating chamber throughout substantially its whole length is grovlded with a slot 32 above the dust box.

eyond the slot 32 and also above the dust box is a series of holes 33.

A comparatively lar e ipe 34 extends axially through one en 0? the separating chamber 25 and atothe opposite end abuts against the end wall of the chamber. It is provided with a series of holes 35,

through which air passes into the pipe from the separating chamber. The open end of the pipe extends into the fan casing 18, the fan blades being cut away centrally to accommodate the pipe.

The right end of the separating chamfor the reason her as seen in Fi I may be supported upon the pipe 34, the Iatter being mounted in the fan casing 18, which as heretofore explained is either integral with or fastened to the wheeled frame 10. The opposite end of the separating chamber may be secured by means of a bracket 36 upon the motor casing 16, which is likewise mounted the wheeled frame.

Operation.

The motor contained within casing 16 when in operation drives the shaft 19 and fan 20 keyed thereto at a rapid rate. By the rotation of the fan air entering the fan casing at the hub through pipe 34 is caused to acquire a rapid rotary movement, thereby setting up centrifugal force, which throws the air out of the casing peripherally. B leaving the lower part of the casin close however, I prevent any downwar motion of the air, which would be objectionable heretofore stated. The suction set up by the fan draws air through holes 35 into pipe 34, thereby lessening the pressure in separating chamber 25 and en- :ibling atmospheric pressure to force air through the nozzle 13 and semi-circular passage 31 into the separating chamber. The air, in thus entering the separating chamber, acquires a rapid circular motion. Centrifugal force thereby comes into play moving the comparatively heavy dust particles toward, the outside of the curved path taken by the air. When these particles arrive .at a position above the box 32 centrifugal force and gravity combined cause them to more into the dust box 26. The air continues its rapid rotary motion up the oppo site side wall of the separating chamber and, if clean enough, then moves to the center and out through the holes 35. If any of the air after getting past the slot 32 still contains some dirt. it may not pass through holes 35 but may continue its circular motion joining with the incoming air at the end of passage 31." A small amount of air may enter the dust box through slot 32 in company with the dust. The holes 33 are for the purpose of permitting such air to reenter the separating chamber without interfering with the downwardly moving dust.

Because of its length, the dust box will hold a considerable quantity of dirt and hence need not be emptied at very frequent intervals. However, when emptyin becomes necessary it may be accomplishe merely by swinging the bail-shaped fastener 29 either forward or backward and then pulling downward upon the dust box.

I am aware that the particular embodiment of my invention above described, and

III

illustrated in the accompanyingvdrawmgs and therefore I desire to claim my invention broadly as well as s cally as indicated by the appended c aims.

I claim asmy invention:

1. In a vacuum cleaner for dust laden air, a wheeled frame, a centrifugal dust collector mounted upon said frame, said collector havin a separating chamber of substantially cy indrical form with its axis horizontal, an axially arranged exit pi extending outwardly from one end of sai'tf collector, and an exhaust fan op ite said exit opening adapted to rotate a ut an axis in common with the axis of the dust collector and means adapted to give centrifugal rotation to the incoming air.

2. In a vacuum cleaner for dust laden air, a wheeled frame, a centrifugal dust collector mounted upon said frame, said wllector havin a separating chamber of substantially cy indrical form with its axis horizontal, an axially arranged air exit at one end of the collector, an exhaust fan opposite said exit, a motor mounted on the frame at the opposite end of the dust collector, and a common shaft for said motor and fan extending through said dust collector and means adapted to give centrifugal rotation to the incoming air.

In a vacuum cleaner for dust laden air, a wheeled frame, a centrifugal dust collectnr mounted upon said frame, said collector havin a separating chamber of substantially cy indrical form with its axis horizontal. a shaft extending axially through said collector and mounted at its ends in said dust collector and adapted to drive said shaft, and an exhaust fan mounted upon said shaft between the collector and the other end hearing and means adapted to give centrifugal rotation to the incoming air.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a wheeled frame, a centrifugal dust collector mounted upon said frame and having an air intake slot on its forward side extending from end to end,

a motor mounted upon said frame at one end of said collector, an exhaust fan mounted upon the frame at the opposite end of the collector, a mechanical connection between said motor and fan, a nozzle mounted to discharge into said slot, said nozzle as it approaches the floor being extended sidewlse in both directions to positions beyond the motor and fan so as to make the mouth of the nozzle the widest portion of the machine.

5. In a vacuum sweeper, the combination of a cylindrical dust separator having its axis a proximately horizontal; a 'nozzle adapte to contact with the surface to be cleaned: a motor positioned at one end of the separator whereby a balanced unit is formed permitting equal pressure of the nozzle on the surface to be cleaned; an air suction device at the other end of the separator; and a dust receptacle positioned between the motor and suction device and adjacent the separator.

6. In a t'acuum sweeper, the combination of a cylindrical dust separator having its axis approximately horizontal; a motor positioned at one end of the separator; an air suction device at the other end ofthe separator; a removable dust receptaclepositinned between the motor and suction device and adjacent the separator, and a nozzle extending outwardly from the separator adapted to contact with the surface to be cleaned, the position of said motor receptacle and suction device permitting an approximate equal pressure of the nozzle on the said surface;

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

CARL P. BROCKWAY.

Certificate of Ooh-action.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,508,315, ranted September 9, 1924, upon the application of Carl P. Broclrway, of Toledo, bio, for an III'IPIOYO- nent in Vacuum Cleaners, an error appears in the printed specification lurmg correction as follows: Page 3; liu'e 64, claim 5, strike out the. chmso when y I balanced unit is formed permitting equ'al pressure of the nozzle on the aurfaoe o be cleaned and insert the same before the period and after-the word sepucator' in line 70, some claim; and that the and Letters Patent should be mad vnth this corraction therein that the some may conform-to the record of the one in the Patont 0m. 1 I

Signed and gelled this 4th day of Novem her, A. D. 1924.

'KARLFENNIN 4M a/Pm. 

